Episode 1985 (8 August 2000)
Synopsis: Sandra decides they need somewhere bigger to live and looks at flats, although Beppe is reluctant about it. Steve tells Beppe he went to Phil's snooker hall on his night off - and maybe it wasn't a night off after all. Phil charges Steve £400 for a car service, and Steve says that seems a bit steep, but grins as he realises the reason. Steve then offers to buy Phil lunch. Barry buys a cheap little old banger for Natalie and tries to get Phil to service it free. Then he gets Jamie to paint it funny colours and Robbie to help him wrap ribbons all round it. Laura thinks it's a lovely idea. Terry tells Jim about his business plan for his pole dancing club. Jim is impressed but Terry says he has to get it all sorted before Irene finds out. Jim suggests "Pole cats" as the name and that they go "researching" the idea in Soho later. In the launderette, Pauline tells Robbie that he shouldn't have trouble getting a girl - "a nice-looking lad like you". Ian tries to get an extended overdraft but is refused, and Sandra agrees that he's over-extended. He says he has a few thousand in the bank, that he's looking after for somebody. She's furious saying that the tax bill was due ages ago. Laura arrives and interrupts their discussion. She kisses Ian goodbye, and Sandra looks, and Ian is horrified. Steve goes into the Vic and Peggy says he has a cheek booking a wedding reception without telling her who he is marrying. Lisa says she would have thought he'd go for somewhere a bit classier than the Vic. Steve sits down with Phil and talks "business". He asks Phil to go for a game of snooker. As Steve leaves, Ethel tells Dot "There's a good-looking man.." Dot adds "For a murderer..", Ethel replies "Like your Nick." Dot gets all huffy and Ethel says she has no sense of humour. Steve offers to manage the snooker hall for Phil. Terry chases Steve down in the club and pesters them both again. Beppe says "You ARE joking?" Steve sighs and asks Terry if he has a business plan, projections, how much, etc. Terry looks confused and says "Oh yes, of course I can do that." Steve says with finality OK then. Terry leaves and Beppe is furious saying Steve has to consult him first about any business plans. Steve says he's not really serious, but, why not? Sandra hassles Beppe on the phone and Billy sympathizes, saying women trouble? Billy moans it's either women or money, and that he has one or the other but never both at the same time - even Jamie has pulled, and he always had Jamie down as gay. Beppe looks disapproving. Beppe moans to Steve that Sandra is pushing him to move in to a bigger place. Steve says simply "Why not, if she's the right one keep her happy and she won't stray - if she's not, give her the elbow." Beppe thinks about it. Janine moans to Martin that there are no decent blokes around here since Ashley left, and laughs when Martin suggests himself, and she later asks Dot for Ashley's phone number. Dot says she hasn't got it. Dot moans at Ethel's drinking combined with pills, and Ethel tells her that she hasn't just got rheumatism, but cancer and only a couple of months to live. Cast: *'Ethel Skinner - Gretchen Franklin' *'Dot Cotton - June Brown' *'Barry Evans - Shaun Williamson' *'Robbie Jackson - Dean Gaffney' *'Jim Branning - John Bardon' *'Sonia Jackson - Natalie Cassidy' *'Jamie Mitchell - Jack Ryder' *'Martin Fowler - James Alexandrou' *'Janine Butcher - Charlie Brooks' *'Phil Mitchell - Steve McFadden' *'Lisa Shaw - Lucy Benjamin' *'Beppe Di Marco - Michael Greco' *'Sandra Di Marco - Clare Wilkie' *'Steve Owen - Martin Kemp' *'Billy Mitchell - Perry Fenwick' *'Terry Raymond - Gavin Richards' *'Irene Raymond - Roberta Taylor' *'Pauline Fowler - Wendy Richard' *'Ian Beale - Adam Woodyatt' *'Laura Dunn - Hannah Waterman' *'Melanie Beale - Tamzin Outhwaite' *'Peggy Butcher - Barbara Windsor' *'Roy Evans - Tony Caunter ' Crew: *'Script Editor - Belinda Campbell' *'Story Consultant - Tony Jordan' *'Storylines - Art Young' *'Associate Producer - Ian Hopkins' *'Script Producer - Lorraine Newman' Category:Episode Category:2000 Episodes